Harnessing Instagram’s Saved Posts Feature: Empowering Users to Effortlessly Curate and Personalize Unique Travel Experiences
Role: UX/UI Designer
Company: Independent
Project Type: Added Feature
Tools: Figma, Figjam
Platform: Mobile App
Duration: 2 months
OVERVIEW
Instagram is widely known for its vibrant community of travel enthusiasts who share inspiring content from around the world
Instagram is a social media platform primarily designed for sharing photos and videos. Launched in 2010, it allows users to capture, edit, and post visual content. Users can follow friends, celebrities, brands, and other accounts of interest to see their posts in a personalized feed.
DISCOVERY - Initial Problem Statement
Users often face challenges in utilizing saved content for creating personalized itineraries and linking related content
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
1. lack of robust tools for organizing saved posts, making it difficult to categorize content by destination, type, or preference
2. posts often lack comprehensive information about locations, accommodations, and tips, leading to incomplete references
3. relying on saved collections for trip planning can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and often inefficient
DISCOVERY - Hypothesis
Streamline the process of transforming saved posts into actionable travel plans by providing detailed, easy-to-use information that simplifies trip planning
HOW TO MEET SOLUTIONS?
1. allows users to categorize saved posts automatically based on AI-detected attributes like destination, activity type, or user-defined preferences
2. provide key information such as location, nearby accommodations, activity suggestions, and travel tips
3. compile relevant saved posts into a suggested itinerary, complete with categorized activities, locations, and recommendations, minimizing manual effort and streamlining trip planning
DESIGN PROCESS
RESEARCH - User Interviews + Affinity Map
Users find it difficult and experience a lack enthusiasm for using Instagram for travel inspiraiton and planning
I find it difficult to use and reference Instagram for planning in-depth trips
Joey
I think many posts focus on visuals without providing practical details like how to get to a place or what to expect
Sarah
I prefer to use Google instead of Instagram to find travel blogs and itineraries to get detailed information regarding certain travel destinations because Instagram does not include that feature
Andrea
I often save posts on Instagram with the intention of using them for my travels, but I rarely go back to reference them when planning trips
David
Key Findings
Saved Collections and Posts
Users save posts for trip planning, but find it inconvenient and forget to reference them
They seek comprehensive information including travel itineraries, costs, and transportation details
Desired Content Details
Users want posts with practical details like safety tips, gear requirements, and best times to visit
They seek comprehensive information including travel itineraries, costs, and transportation details
In-depth travel guides with transportation, costs, and insider tips are desired
Enhanced Travel Information
Users desire advanced search features for specific types of destinations or activities
Quality content filters are needed to find practical travel information over just pretty pictures
Curated content recommendations for offbeat and solo travel destinations are important
RESEARCH - User Persona
Meet Adam Howard, an adventurous traveler who uses Instagram to find and discover unique destinations
This user persona identifies Adam’s challenges, including inefficient saved post management and lack of practical travel details, while emphasizing his need for streamlined saving, comprehensive content, and collaborative planning tools
IDEATION - Design Solution
Travel enthusiasts rely on Instagram for trip planning but often struggle with efficiently saving, organizing, and accessing travel content, limiting their ability to turn inspiration into actionable plans for a personalized trip
While users frequently save posts for future reference, they often forget to utilize these collections, leading them to turn to alternative platforms like Pinterest for more comprehensive travel information. Instagram posts lack practical details such as safety tips, itineraries, transportation options, and costs, making it difficult for users ton plan trips effectively
IDEATION - Design Decisions
Saved Collections
Users will be able to effortlessly transform their saved posts into personalized trip itineraries, turning inspiration into action
Accommodation
Users will have the option to seamlessly discover and book accommodations directly through Instagram, streamlining the entire trip planning process.
A comprehensive activity dashboard will display users' current, past, and upcoming trips, providing easy access to reference and manage all travel plans in one place
Activity Dashboard
Customizable Itinerary
After reviewing their curated and personalized itinerary, users will have the flexibility to easily customize it to suit their preferences and specific needs
IDEATION - User Flow
Users have the ability to access Insta-itinerary on their profile page to begin creating their itinerary based on their saved collections
By streamlining the process, users can quickly organize destinations, activities, and accommodations without the hassle of manually piecing together plans
IDEATION - User Test
Users expressed a desire for greater control to customize and optimize their itineraries, ensuring they align perfectly with their preferences and needs
In addition, users desired UI enhancements, such as adding thumbnails of destinations to the itinerary for better visual context and implementing clearer categorization within the accommodation screen for improved usability
HIGH-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Creating a personalized trip is made easy with only a few steps
By streamlining the process, users can quickly organize destinations, activities, and accommodations without the hassle of manually piecing together plans
AI+ gives users enhanced control, ensuring a more personalized and finely curated itinerary
"Ask AI+" was introduced based on user test feedback to address pain points and better meet the needs and concerns of users
Complete your itinerary with options to send, share, and more
Seamlessly share your plans with friends and family, send details to your email or messaging apps, or export them to other platforms for easy access.
PROTOTYPE
The prototype received generally positive feedback, with users appreciating its clean design and straightforward functionality
However, some pain points emerged regarding the order of screens, as users felt certain steps in the workflow were unintuitive or disrupted their flow. Additionally, a few users suggested small layout changes to specific screens, such as repositioning key elements for better visibility or adjusting spacing to reduce clutter.
REFLECTION
Iterative Design: By creating low-fidelity wireframes and testing them early, I was able to gather feedback and make adjustments before investing too much time in high-fidelity designs. This saved time and ensured the final prototype was well-aligned with user expectations
What Went Well:
User-Centered Research: Conducting in-depth user interviews helped identify key pain points, such as users feeling overwhelmed by too much information upfront. This research directly informed our design decisions, ensuring the solution was grounded in real user needs
Challenges and Lessons Learned:
Testing Limitations: Due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to test the prototype with as many users as I would have liked. In the future, I’d advocate for more robust usability testing to catch potential issues earlier
Scope Creep: Midway through the project, additional features were requested, which I wasn’t able to incorporate due to time constraints. This taught me the importance of setting clear boundaries and prioritizing features based on impact and feasibility
